Hello Reader,

Most people preparing for an AWS Solutions Architect interview are using outdated information. The process has changed significantly, and if you are preparing based on what worked two years ago, you are preparing for the wrong interview.

I am a former L7 Principal SA at AWS who have conducted hundreds of interview, and I have helped many of my students crack Big tech interviews, including at AWS.

Here is the updated process.

The online assessment is not optional for most people

After the recruiter call, there is an optional online assessment. In practice, most candidates go through it. The hiring manager can waive it if they feel your experience is strong enough, but based on feedback from students, the majority sit this round.

It is non-proctored, scenario-based, and covers both technical and behavioral sections. The technical level sits between the Solutions Architect Associate and Professional exams. Solid understanding of compute, networking, storage, and security is enough.

The behavioral section tests Amazon Leadership Principles through simulated scenarios, and this is where most candidates underinvest. Leadership principles are not a formality at Amazon. They are used in daily decisions at every level. Treat them accordingly.

The hiring manager round (New)

For some teams, the hiring manager is talking to the candidate BEFORE moving you forward. This is a new precedent to weed out bad candidates. If I have to assume, it can be that the online assessment is easier now with the help of AI, and the hiring manager want to ensure the candidate is good before his team spends time on the interview.

Expect talking about your background, why you believe AWS is a good fit for you, and occasional behavioral questions in this round.

The telephonic round is mostly technical, but do not ignore the behavioral questions

After the online assessment, and occasional hiring manager round, comes a telephonic round with one interviewer. The questions are primarily technical and will shift based on the role you are going for. Applying for a container specialist role means more container questions. Applying for a generative AI specialist role means more GenAI questions.

What catches people off guard is the breadth requirement. Even if you are going for a specialist role, you need solid knowledge across compute, networking, storage, security, microservices, and DevOps.

The reason is straightforward. When you are in front of a customer talking about containers, they will ask about something they saw in an AWS announcement last week. You are not expected to go deep on everything, but you cannot go blank either.

Your resume is also not the script for this round. The job of your resume is to get you into the interview. Once you are in, the interviewer evaluates what you know based on the role requirements, not just what you have listed. There may be overlap, but do not assume the questions will stay inside your resume.

Expect one or two behavioral questions toward the end. They carry less weight than the technical portion at this stage. If you perform well technically, a solid but not perfect behavioral answer will still move you to the loop.

The loop is five rounds, and three of them are behavioral

This surprises most technical candidates. Three out of five loop rounds are behavioral. The other two are technical, with a system design round and a role-specific technical depth round.

The behavioral rounds at this stage are different from the online assessment. There are no simulated scenarios. Interviewers ask for real examples from your actual experience. Tell me a time you went above and beyond. Tell me a time you solved a complex problem. Tell me a time you disagreed with a stakeholder and what happened.

Your answers need to come from real projects, and they need to align with the leadership principles.

Prepare for all fourteen leadership principles. Some recruiters will tell you which ones are being evaluated in which round. Some will even tell you who the bar raiser is. Treat that information as a bonus. Prepare as if you have none of it.

The bar raiser does not have full veto power anymore

This is a meaningful change. Previously, a bar raiser could block a hire regardless of what other interviewers said. That is no longer the case. If the hiring manager is strongly in favor and you performed well other rounds, a bar raiser who did not connect with you will not automatically end your candidacy.

That said, approach every round as if it is the bar raiser round. You do not know which interviewer carries the most weight in any given debrief.

The presentation round is varied (New)

Three years back, all interviewers attended the presentation round. Last year, it was taken by the hiring manager alone, with one or two leadership principle questions followed by a 20-minute presentation and 10 minutes of questions. But, this year, reports emerging that in some cases full panel presentation rounds are back. Hiring manager decides whether it will be 1-1 or 1-many. Good news is - the expectation remains same.

The mistake candidates make here is going too deep on technical architecture. The hiring manager or the panel is evaluating communication skill, executive presence, and strategic thinking. Build the presentation around the business problem and the customer outcome. Technical depth should support the narrative, not be the narrative.

Switching into SA from another AWS role is possible but not easier

A common question is whether it is easier to get into AWS as a TAM or account manager and then switch internally to SA. The answer is that other roles are not easier. They are different. TAM to SA is the most common internal switch because of technical overlap, but you still need to be in your original role for at least one year before switching. The higher your level, the harder the switch becomes. At L7 principal SA, the bar is high enough that internal transfers at that level are rare.

If you have a strong technical background, go directly for the SA role. Do not take a longer path assuming it will be easier.

The one thing that separates candidates who get in

It is not certifications, or how good your resume is. It is the ability to delight the interviewer, and not meet. Your answers must have real-world angle, mixed with your ability to switch to executive level, or tactical level because SAs need this day in, day out.

Hope this was helpful. I wish you THE BEST on your next interview!

Keep learning and keep rocking 🚀,

Raj

P.S - If you want to get an AWS Solutions Architect job without coding or learning every AWS service, the 9th cohort for AWS SA Bootcamp is launching on Aug 1st, 12 PM ET (Eastern Time) via live workshop. This program now includes our updated GenAI curriculum. Please register below:

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